Chapter 22: Allies


"It all began... ah... a long, long time ago!" Hoopa began his tale as moonlight streamed into Eldegoss's hut through the window. "Hoopa doesn't know how long it's been, since..." His usual dissonant cheer subsided as he trailed off.

Hoopa floated over to Eldegoss's desk and flopped down on it, lounging on his side and holding his head up in one hand.

"But a long time ago, Hoopa was one of many Hoopa! Hoopa's kin roamed the Earth, exploring every corner and connecting right back home with our Hoopa rings." He fanned his hand across the room in emphasis. "Hoopa's kin were a happy kind- free, like no other!" he pined.

"One day, amid many free days of wander, Hoopa discovered something new. In a lifeless void of cold and ice..."

Hoopa waved his arm again and a ring opened behind him. Immediately a wave of frigid air blasted into the room, as a snowstorm poured through. There was nothing but a snowy gray haze on the other side of the portal

"Gah! What the hell?" Rex barked, discovering very quickly how much his new body hated the cold. "Close that!"

Hoopa gave him an annoyed look for the interruption, staring at him the whole time as he closed the portal. The interior of Eldegoss's home was already coated in a fine powder lining of snow.

"As Hoopa was saying... Hoopa found a tear in space! Not like a mere Hoopa ring- no, no, no! Something new, something exotic! And the fool that Hoopa was, he flew right through it! Hoopa had no idea!" he shrieked, shuddering.

"Hoopa found himself in a strange mystery dungeon... Where the monsters were made of gold and glass. Hoopa did not like dungeons- Hoopa ring didn't work in them. But Hoopa were made to go anywhere and everywhere! Hoopa would not let a dungeon be the limit!

"So Hoopa pushed on, as dungeon grew more and more twisted, all the way to the very bottom. Darker, darker yet.." He continued gesturing his hands to the left and right in pure theatrics. "Up! Down! Sideways! Hoopa couldn't tell any of them apart! But Hoopa still found his way.

"The rift at the bottom was strange. Light spilled out of it, inviting Hoopa to a secret place. And it is a Hoopa's duty to explore, so in Hoopa went."

Hoopa suddenly shot into the air, knocking several items off of the desk. "But it was a trap! Hoopa had entered a new world! A terrible world, with no Hoopa ring!"

"A divine dungeon," Bristle muttered, a bit surprised. "The Lorekeeper used to tell me stories about those."

Simultaneous glares from Rex and Hoopa urged her to continue.

"I'm- I'm not a scholar on them," she grimaced a bit. "But apparently after mystery dungeons appeared, Arceus took an interest in them. He recreated them and used them to hide the realms of the legends, or imprison dangerous things. They're less malevolent, and the apparitions are golden. That's really all I know." She shrugged nervously. "They're almost all very high classifications. So I've never..."

"A prison, yes!" Hoopa declared. "A prison it was! A blue and orange sky stretched into the horizon, dotted with stars that don't exist! The ground below was a wasteland, devoid of all life but monsters! Maddened titans that roamed the strange wilds, destroying everything in their path!"

Hoopa's once maddened grin was replaced by a pool of dread.

"And... the monster itself. The serpent that roamed the sky, its ribs skittering about like a Scolipede's legs. The moment Hoopa saw it, Hoopa knew. If it found Hoopa, Hoopa would die. Or worse.

"So Hoopa ran, Hoopa hid. And Hoopa survived." He emphasized it with grave significance. "Hoopa doesn't know how long he spent in that wasteland. A long time. Hoopa found food, strange but edible. Hoopa found shelter in the twisting wilds. And Hoopa found others.

"After so long alone in that hell, Hoopa found more who had survived. Most were little more than monsters themselves by that point. But some- some had clung to sanity! Hoopa learned the ways of the Otherworld from those forsaken souls.

"The Otherworld was the realm of the serpent, Eternatus. Though it was a lawless netherworld, Eternatus was its god. Anyone the demon caught became one of the colossal monstrosities that roamed the wastelands.

"But there was one more thing Hoopa heard, in hushed whispers from scarred survivors. On a rare moon, some said Eternatus would spare its victim that fate. Rather than twisting their bodies, it would twist their minds instead. And once they were infected- little more than puppets to the demon- it would return them to the world outside.

"When Hoopa heard that, his heart soared! If the serpent sent its puppets home, there had to be an exit! Hoopa just had to get close enough..."

Hoopa's expression had grew uncharacteristically serious, as his hands fell calmly to his side for the first time in his entire tale.

"Just a few short weeks ago, Hoopa got his chance. Hoopa saw a strange Gardevoir approaching the spire where Eternatus made its home. She was so serene amid the barrens- Hoopa knew she had to be a puppet! So Hoopa followed her as she climbed the whole spire, confronting the demon in its den without a hint of fear.

"And then... Hoopa doesn't know. The beast emerged, but it didn't attack. They just... stared at each other. Speaking in telepathy, Hoopa is sure!

"But when they were done, it reached its claw out slowly, and..." he winced. "He touched her head gently. A light ran from it and into her. She nearly turned into one of the monsters- but she seemed to fight it. She grew claws, and a mask. But she still moved the same. Hoopa knew it- she was a puppet now!

"She bowed to it. Eternatus drew back its claw and raked a hole in the sky! It looked like just like the one that brought Hoopa to that hell! So Hoopa didn't hesitate. Didn't wait to see more. As soon as Hoopa saw that rift, Hoopa flew right through it. The monsters tried to get Hoopa, but Hoopa made it! And then... a Hoopa ring, and Hoopa was gone!"

Hoopa settled back down on the desk to rest, paying no mind as he knocked even more of Eldegoss's snow-coated things off of it. "Hoopa tried to go home, but Hoopa's home was gone... Hoopa's kin were gone..." he muttered sorrowfully. "Hoopa was gone... a long time."

"Hoopa tried to get help- to warn the world of the demon and its puppets. But Hoopa didn't know where to go. Hoopa got seen, and then the crazy Gardevoir puppet found Hoopa. She chased Hoopa for days. Across the whole planet! Sometimes she loses Hoopa, like now. But whenever Hoopa reveals himself, she finds him again...

"So Hoopa sought help in a small place... Somewhere there'd be no puppets! In a small forest village, Hoopa heard of a tiny guild, that had saved them all. But Hoopa was seen in the process. Soon the mad puppet found Hoopa, and Hoopa ran to hide until explorers could save him." He shuddered.

With that, Hoopa stopped talking and settled on Eldegoss's desk, staring expectantly at Bristle with an eager grin.

"Hold on," Rex interjected, visibly annoyed, and still shivering. "What does any of this insanity have to do with Solemn Meadow?"

Hoopa finally turned his eyes over to Rex, dressing him down with the same eerie smile. "When Hoopa searched this village, he heard of the spirit that plagued it. That rended open a rift- just like Eternatus! This spirit must be a puppet- Hoopa is sure of it!"

Rex folded his arms and gave the imp a disapproving glare. "Alright, well that's circumstantial evidence at best."

"What exactly is it you want from us, Hoopa?" Bristle asked as she pulled herself upright. There was an uncharacteristic lack of fire behind it.

"Hoopa wants you to get rid of the crazy Gardevoir! And make sure Eternatus can't get out!" he yelled indignantly, slamming his fists on the desk like a toddler. "Hoopa never wants to see that monster again!"

Rex and Bristle gave each other concerned looks. Rex's expression rapidly morphed into anger.

"Have you considered we may not be the best people to fight space Satan and his power rangers for you?" Rex snapped. "In case you didn't notice, she nearly killed us. I don't expect a rematch to go much better."

He froze as he noticed Bristle silently considering it.

"I... I don't know if we can help you," she finally said with a solemn sigh. "Hel- Rex is right. I don't really have a guild. That was... just a fantasy," she muttered, casting her eyes to the ground. "And I won't win a fight with her. You should find someone else to help you."

"Hoopa has no one else!" he cried, slamming the desk again. "Hoopa nearly died too! Just trying to find someone! What kind of explorers are you?"

Bristle winced and turned away entirely. "I don't know..."

Rex hesitated as he caught Bristle tearing up again. God, she'd gone soft so quickly...

He'd been hopeful after Hoopa had promised information, but all Hoopa had for him was a best guess that threatened to drag him into even more insanity. He had no intentions of fighting some interdimensional monster.

But it was the closest thing to a lead that he had. Even if it wasn't certain, Strife being one of these puppets was a reasonable hypothesis to work off of. And if they could somehow take Faith down, she might know of the others.

He didn't have to join Hoopa's suicide quest, though. Faith belonged to the Jade Crest- which was where he should be heading anyways. Certainly they'd know something.

But would they even tell him? Or take this information and run with it, leaving him with no name and no past?

"I can't answer you right now," Bristle's voice finally broke his thoughts. "I need to think about a lot of things. Can you wait?"

Hoopa's tantrum immediately settled, but he still looked very displeased.

"Hoopa has no choice. But if the crazy Gardevoir returns, Hoopa will be gone. Far, far gone!"

"I understand," she answered solemnly.

Without breaking his disappointed stare, Hoopa rose into the air and formed a ring behind him that seemed to lead off into the moonlit woods. He floated slowly back into it.

"Hoopa will find you in a few days."

The ring shut behind him, and they both let out a deep sigh.


A brilliant flash of light shot through the desolate ruins, as Faith manifested amid them. Her eyes shot across the rugged field of collapsing buildings, searching for someone.

In better days, she might have stopped to enjoy the beautiful view of the world below Flak Mountain. From up here, she could see from the foothills, all the way out to the sea, and the distant horizon. But through her piercing headache, any appreciation was impossible.

Finding no life, and no signs of life she lost her patience.

"Come on out, scum. I have no time for this," she snarled loudly, surprising herself with her own irritability.

Moments later she heard movement, and turned to see a particularly large, and particularly angry-looking Drapion slinking out of a big, ruined hall. He looked at her with disdain.

"You're late," he spat. "You make me camp out up here and can't even be blasted to keep me in the loop."

"I've been busy," she hissed.

The monstrous Drapion sauntered right up to her, his claws outstretched in a threatening posture.

She nearly rolled her eyes. He was trying to make himself larger. But he still couldn't match up to her mutant height.

A tense atmosphere hung between them. Neither was prepared to let their guard down around the other.

She couldn't imagine what the beast had offered these vile Pokémon for their service. She didn't want to, anyways. When this was all over, she'd personally see to rounding them up.

"Well, don't let me interrupt your important business then, delver. They were here though. Emphasis on 'were'. Almost a week ago. But since you were so busy, they're long gone."

Faith's heart raced. No... They hadn't found a trace of him in weeks- And now she'd missed her opening?

She clutched her head with one horrific, clawed hand, trying to quell that pounding headache for just a few minutes. At least the headache was better than the alternative...

"Full report. You saw them?" she demanded.

The Drapion puffed air from his nostrils, defying her sudden bid of authority. "Saw? No. But there were interlopers appearing and disappearing from one of the ruins. A Flareon, and someone else. They were hiding."

"And you didn't hear anything useful?"

"I thought you didn't want me to get close?" he snarled. "If you wanted I coulda charged right in there and ripped-"

"Shut up." Her red glow flared and her voice suddenly boomed, echoing down the mountainside. The Drapion flinched and stopped mid-sentence, looking like he hated himself for it.

What a waste of life. She oughta just reach down now and wrap her claws around him. Drain that deformed lifeforce. Absorb it, convert it- create something new, something magical.

Faith shook her head violently and stumbled back. She broke out into a cold sweat.

No... No!

She clutched her head with both claws. The intrusive thoughts were getting worse... the monster's power was doing things to her head.

She'd known this would happen. She'd made a deal with the devil, after all. And this was exactly why she'd done it alone.

She'd do everything she could to overpower it, to come out of this okay. But if she couldn't... the corruption would end with her.

"What- what is your name?" she asked the Drapion as her headache intensified.

The Drapion scowled. His voice was still confident, but the few inches he'd gained from her revealed his growing anxiety. "Tch. Names? Names are a human concept. A way to bind us to a place in-"

"Shut up," she growled again. A single red eye glared into him from behind the visor. "I didn't ask for your philosophical musings. What is your name?"

He scowled at her but relented. "X-Scissor," he spat, as if his own name disgusted him.

Faith stuck both hands into her visor to bury her face in them. She let out a long, loud groan. "I am surrounded by morons and criminals."

X-Scissor puffed up again, his eyes appraising her like prey, and his claws eager to dig into her. He was definitely not happy to have a boss.

She'd grown to expect this behavior from the subordinates she'd been given. Savages, all of them. Pokémon that had left- or been chased from- society. It made sense. They were the last ones who'd warn the world of that abomination. And their simple brains had likely been easy to persuade.

In a way, it made her life easier. This filthy business was spent only in the company of scum. If the abomination's power overwhelmed her, she didn't have to worry about hurting her teammates, or her friends.

But it also made things hard. They were uncooperative, and untrustworthy. Curt, at best.

"Which building were they in?" Faith asked, entirely ignoring his bloodthirsty intent.

After another moment of growling and posturing, he pointed a claw towards one of the larger ruins.

Faith started walking towards it before, in a moment of sudden impatience, blinking from existence and reappearing inside. It looked to have once been some sort of community center. A single large, stone seat sat at the back of the room. A throne.

Her eyes narrowed at that. Of course the arrogant little...

She stepped through the room, searching for any kind of hints that they'd been here. The only thing that stood out was a small pile of stones before the throne in the crude semblance of a Sableye. An odd detail, but not one that gave her much to work with.

She shut her eyes, and within her imagination a perfect copy of the room formed. Sunlight and moonlight began rapidly alternating through the ceiling cracks as her vision sped through time, trying to see the future. But almost instantly it became muddy, and within a few days it was a wash of random colors.

She knew far, far too little about the circumstances to see a reliable future. The clinking of claws on stone brought her back to reality as X-Scissor followed her into the chamber. Faith shook her head and returned to reality, immediately turning to the near-feral Drapion.

"You're getting some roommates. I'm sending a few other Pokémon up here with you. Ones that might be able to incapacitate him, or at least eavesdrop, if he comes back. This is the closest thing to a lead we have."

X-Scissor raised one eye wide while the other squinted in conflicting expressions of disapproval. "Screw that! It's hard enough to catch a good meal up here as is!"

Faith's headache flared with her frustration. "You will do as I say, or I will beat you and teleport your unconscious body into Crest headquarters," she growled, stomping the ground like a petulant child.

She couldn't tell anymore if these outbursts were the abomination's power, or just the product of a perpetual headache.

X-Scissor quivered with rage, his claws clicking at the air desperately longing to rip... to tear...

"'Sides, some delver came up here not long after, looking for whoever was hiding in here," he added, face still twitching with anger. "If they come back, maybe best we ain't all squatting together."

Faith let out a heavy sigh, collapsing onto the throne just to get a moment of rest. If the Drapion hadn't attacked her after that last outburst, then he knew better. She was just lucky the seat was oversized enough to fit her new, monstrous form.

"Who were they?" she asked, praying it was some kind of coincidence. The last thing she needed was any innocents mixed up in all of this.

"A Roselia and an Umbreon," he grumbled, his violent tensions cooling with her sudden seat. He seemed to straighten up a bit taller, as if seizing at the opportunity to finally match her height.

Faith's mind ran through all of the Jade Crest members she knew. No matches for an Umbreon, and the only Roselia was...

She let out another loud groan, her headache spiking to new heights. That was the worst person who could possibly get involved with this. She could only pray that the girl was far from the right track. Otherwise, she would undoubtedly stick her nose far deeper than she could handle...

"They likely won't come back," Faith sighed. After a moment of hesitation- "And if they do- do not kill them. In fact- just don't kill anyone." She threw her head back in exasperation that she even needed to say it.

X-Scissor looked visibly offended by this. "That little weed stun spo-"

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence, gaping for a half a second, and stuffing down an embarrassed look.

"Suuure..." he hissed, quite unconvincingly.

Faith cracked the faintest hint of a rare smile. It seemed like little Bristle had left an impression on him. Good.

She stood up. "It's as I said. I'll be sending others here. Try not to kill each other. 'Form a pack', or whatever it is you savages do," she said with a derisive smile. "They'll bring more specific instructions when I decide who to send. And my check-ins will be daily, from now on."

He gave an annoyed look to that. "Wonderful," he muttered.

With a flash, the mutant delver vanished from the throne, leaving the mad scorpion alone with his long string of muttered curses.


Rex had no intention of waking up early the next morning. So it was no surprise that when he woke up and stretched his body with a yawn, Bristle was already gone. Eldegoss waited in her place, reading a book at her desk.

"Good mor- er, afternoon. Glad to see you actually rested. Roselia was insistent as always," she said, casting a disappointed glare at the other empty bed.

Rex let out a small laugh. "Yeah, not surprised by that. Not sure where she's actually going at this point, though."

Eldegoss shrugged. "She said there was something she had to do right away. I can't sleep powder her, and I didn't want to risk her trying to fight her way past me, so I let her go with some basic care instructions. Hopefully she doesn't do anything stupid." Her tone implied she half expected it.

Rex gave another yawn and pulled himself upright. "And what about me, doc?"

"Don't go picking any fights for a few days. Your injuries will take a bit longer to heal because you mistreated them for so long. But you should be good to move."

That was enough for him. He reached for his bag back from beside her desk.

"Where'd you go last night, anyways?" he asked curiously.

She gave him an odd look, like it was a weird question. "You two were on my beds, so I went out and slept in the meadow."

"Oh... wow." Rex grimaced a bit. "Sorry to kick you out of your house like that."

She tilted her head at him. "It's really no bother. I like to sleep in the open air most nights anyways."

"Huh..." he muttered. "Well, thanks a lot for looking after us anyways. Do we uh... owe you anything?"

She raised an eyebrow at him inquisitively before laughing. "What kind of miserly creature do you think I am? Besides, you helped chase that nasty spirit off for us. We more than owe you."

"R-right," he said with a sheepish grin. "Well, thanks for that."

She nodded him off with an inviting smile.

As he walked through the peaceful village, Rex considered making a quick stop to check on Ashen. But perhaps it was for the best that he leave the kid alone. Rex's interactions with him had brought them both nothing but trouble.

Instead he made his way out to the west, down the still soot-dusted path through charred woods that led back towards Flak Grotto. The trees immediately outside the village were beginning to regenerate already, showing the faintest hint of blooms. It seemed whatever rejuvenation effort the village grass-types had planned had already begun.

The walk was even quieter than usual this time, as the fires had driven the ferals away from a large part of the forest. Rex wandered alone with his anticipation of the next step.

Team Pride would be able to tell him how to join the Crest. And then... he'd wait, probably. Live a temporary life, with a temporary name, waiting.

He let out a sigh. No matter how many times he ran through this in his head, it all just came down to praying that the Crest were able and eager to help him. And even if they were- how long would he be waiting for?

These thoughts plagued him as he made his way down into the crevice of Flak Grotto, waving to a few familiar faces from the night of the fire. There was a prideful energy surrounding those Pokémon, which carried through the air.

Before Rex poked his head into the inn, he cast a look down the alley towards the rubble at the end where Wimpod lived. He hadn't seen the bug since the night of the fire. Not even at the celebration. And he certainly wasn't out-and-about today.

Rex shrugged. He'd likely run away the moment it was all over.

Claydol whirred to life the moment Rex stepped inside and gave an expression that Rex guessed was supposed to pass for a smile. "Helioptile. Welcome."

"Good evening. Are Team Pride in the usual spot?"

"Fraxure and Noibat are out at the moment. Gabite is in. He currently has another guest."

Rex stared at the curtain curiously. With a sneaking suspicion he walked slowly towards it and listened inside.

"That's another three points." He heard Ego's voice. "If you knock mine out in the same move, it's ten."

There was a loud clacking, and then a long, awkward silence. Both inside their room, and outside as Claydol stared at Rex's evident eavesdropping with a confused look. He raised a claw to hush the idol.

Finally, Bristle's voice spoke up. "So. I can't win anymore," she said dryly.

"No, not really," Ego snickered. "But honestly, not bad for a first try. We play this stupid game at least three times a week."

Bristle just sighed.

"Alright, what's the deal?" Ego asked, sounding more serious. " I can't take this anymore. Xew and Deci aren't getting back today, and you look like you're about to have a nervous breakdown. What did you want to talk about?"

Rex could hear her nervous shuffling from outside the room.

"It has... come to my attention that I might... owe you guys an apology," she squeaked, almost beneath her breath.

Ego broke out into a hearty chuckle, and there was the thud of his claw striking her back.

"I appreciate it, but we both got each other riled up the other day. I have just as much to be apologizing for."

Another awkward silence before she spoke up again, just a bit louder. "I'm... not just talking about that. I heard you guys have been worried about me, and I..." She swallowed. "I may not have realized that."

There was a stunned silence, and time seemed to stop even outside the room. It was a long moment before Ego replied.

"That's... big of you," he muttered, sounding dissatisfied himself. He let out a sigh. "But I still owe you an apology too. When you finally joined the Crest and we got to move ahead of you, I...

"It felt good to finally have our reputation freed from yours. For a long time, I could see how stressed you were, and I still kept rubbing it in. That's- that's probably why I've felt so worried about you lately. Because it's partially my fault."

"I- I don't want to go back and forth like this," she said, choking a bit. "So can we just wipe the board clear?"

His claw thudded against her back again. "I'd like that. Friends?"

There was a moment of hesitation.

"Okay."

"Okay? Okay?" He burst out into laughter. "Don't sound so enthusiastic!"

"That's an acceptance!" she protested. "What am I supposed to say?"

"You're supposed to say 'friends'! And sound happy about it!" He continued to cackle madly. "I swear. You really are the same old Bristle."

Bristle didn't respond, and Ego's laughter died down. When he spoke again, he sounded serious.

"Hey, it's just teasing, Bristle. I tease Deci and Xew the same way, and I'd risk my life for either of them. We're allowed to make fun of ourselves with each other because we're friends. We know we all love each other, at the end of the day."

"And you... love me?" she asked with an unamused skepticism.

Rex could hear Ego choke from the lobby. "I- I mean- that's a loaded question! As a friend, yes, but not- "

Bristle started giggling.

There was a confused silence for a moment before Ego roared. "You little- !" He burst out laughing too.

They laughed together for a bit before finally settling into a peaceful silence.

"I'm really glad we had this talk," Ego finally said.

"...Same."

After another moment, Bristle let out a sigh. "I should go now. I'll come talk to Hax- Xew and Deci later. I need to clear my head some."

Rex briefly panicked as he heard her get up and them say their goodbyes. He nearly bolted out the door. But instead something drove him to just stand there.

Bristle left their room and nearly slammed right into him. She glared inches from his face.

"Hey." He waved a claw awkwardly with a smirk.

Her expression changed to a deep scowl. "Were you- "

She paused and stole a glance back into the room behind her. "Let's take this somewhere else," she growled.

Rex cast a wave and a grin to a confused Ego behind her, before a vine coiled around his arm and dragged him away.

"Seriously?" she growled at him as soon as they were out on the street.

He shrugged, yanking his arm free from her. "For what it's worth, that's the most respectable thing I've ever seen you do," he said with a smirk.

Her glare lightened just a bit.

"How did it feel?" he asked, his expression growing serious.

She huffed and turned to hide her face. "Really bad. ...And really good," she confessed. "It felt awful to do it, and I hate myself for having to do it. But it feels good knowing that it's behind us now, at least."

Bristle turned back to him and glared at him again. "And don't change the subject! Why were you eavesdropping?"

"Come on," he said, gesturing for her to follow him down the street. "Let's not have this talk in public."

Still scowling, she followed after him and they headed back up toward the cliff where they'd sunbathed the week prior.

"You want the honest answer? I listened because I was surprised," he finally said, nonchalantly. "It took nearly dying to get you to apologize to me or the kid. The fact you chose to say sorry on your own caught me off guard."

She turned away and stared down into the village bashfully. "I already said... I don't want to forget that," she muttered.

Rex sat down, opening his frills a bit to take in the sunlight.

"Good," he said with a smile. "It would be a damned shame if you did."

Bristle gave him a nervous look, before relenting and uncoiling her roots to sunbathe as well. It wouldn't last long- the sun would disappear behind Flak Mountain soon.

"You still want to go after her, don't you?" he asked as they both enjoyed the final few minutes of light.

It took her a moment to finally answer.

"I want- I want to do the right thing," she sighed. "My heart says that's helping Hoopa. But after everything that happened, my head's telling me it would be stupid."

Rex stared down at the village murals for a few moments, debating whether to suppress the intrusive thought in his head. But no matter how stupid it was, he knew it was what we he wanted. So he gave in.

"Let's do it," he said.

Bristle turned to gape at him, shock overpowering the calming effect of her sunbath. "Aren't you the one who told me that going after her would be stupid?"

"Yeah, you going after her would be stupid," he snorted. "Because you'd just try fighting her and get your ass kicked again. But I have more common sense than that."

She huffed and turned away. "I'm not stupid, you know."

"We'll see," he snickered. "But here's the deal. If I go to the Crest, they're probably going to pluck this away from me and stonewall me out of the process. And Hoopa doesn't want them involved anyways. So it's best if I do this without them. And you need someone with a head on their shoulders to tackle this in a way that isn't crazy."

Bristle stopped to consider for a moment. "I still don't see how an undertrained Helioptile helping me makes this any safer."

"An undertrained and underhanded Helioptile," he corrected with a sly grin. "And an overeager Vaporeon, and anyone else I can convince to tolerate you enough to join your stupid guild."

Her eyes widened. "The guild? I think we've both admitted that was a fantasy. It's... not going to happen. I still don't know what I'm going to tell Vaporeon."

"I mean whatever you had in your head was a fantasy, yes. But we can still make a team."

Bristle brought her buds up and pulled her scarf off to examine it. It was filthy and torn. But the small insignia of intertwining roses on the corner was still intact. She gave it a sad smile.

"And you're really going to forgive me for... well, everything?"

Rex crossed his arms, giving her an evaluating look. "It's like I said last night. I'm good with wiping the board clear. But if I see any more of that shit I'm- "

"It's a deal," she cut him off. She had a teary smile. "I- I can't keep going on like I was. If I can't keep that promise, then..." She sniffled. "Then I guess I'm a lost cause anyways."

Rex snickered. "God you're melodramatic."

They sat in a contented silence for a while as the sun began to set behind the mountain. Eventually, Rex spoke up.

"I should warn you now- I do have one first demand, actually. And you're not going to like it."

She turned to face him, raising a brow. "And what's that?"

"Take tomorrow off. Like, as in, rest all day. Go play a game or get a drink. Maybe find a hobby. Just... stop working for a day," he told her.

She crossed her arms. "I thought we're going to start looking for Faith tomorrow?"

Rex shook his head. "This isn't the type of operation that we can just throw ourselves at, Bristle. If we find Faith tomorrow, she kills us. We need to find her, on our terms, with the proper team to actually take her down. It's going to be a few weeks, at minimum, before we're actually ready to do anything."

She didn't look pleased by that, but he continued before she could complain. "I'll start seeing tomorrow who, if anyone, I can get on board with this. But you need to take a break if we're going to make any progress."

"I hardly see what a break is going to accomplish. By definition a break is the absence of any progre-"

"I really don't need you to define a break for me."

"Evidently, you do."

He gave her an unamused squint until she finally had to look away.

"You wanna know why you started getting worse after a few years at the Crest? I'm willing to bet this is why, Bristle. Anyone will start making mistakes without some rest. Even if you think you're still fine, being exhausted messes with your head."

She still seemed indignant a moment, but eventually her posture laxed a bit. "Fine," she grumbled. "I suppose a single day of break won't set us back too badly. But what about you?"

"Oh, when I need a break I'll take one. You can be sure of that," he snorted.

"And when you don't, judging by your sleeping habits," she noted.

She tried to turn away, but he saw her smirk. And he couldn't help but mirror it. He'd allow that one.